Ten international NGOs strongly criticize Azerbaijan

Ten international NGOs, among them Freedom House, Article 19, Index on Censorship, Institute for War and Peace Reporting, International Federation of Journalists, Media Diversity Institute, Press Now, Open Society Foundations, Reporters without borders, and World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, adopted on September 9 a joint statement following their three-day mission to Azerbaijan, Turan agency reported.

The mission to Baku was campaigned as the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan. It has an aim to meet with journalists, human rights defenders, government officials and other civil society activists on critical freedom of expression issues in advance of the country's parliamentary elections planned in November.

Representatives from the organizations highlighted their serious concerns regarding the deteriorating freedom of expression situation in Azerbaijan, including the continued imprisonment of journalists and bloggers, acts of violence and ill-treatment against journalists.

The human right defenders said in their statement that Azerbaijan has been facing this reality and the situation can become worse on the eve of the parliamentary elections. They pointed at the impunity of those who commit these violations and anti-human acts, who persecute and suppress reporters. Among other factors which make the situation worse are: government’s interference in media-related issues and government’s aim to take media under control, economical leverage and control over media, criminalization of defamation and anti-human legislation.

The international human rights mission called for Azerbaijan’s authorities:

- to free immediately the three jailed journalists and never practice such kind of arrests in future;
- to launch an immediate investigation into the cases of suppressing and hunting media;
- to decriminalize defamation;
- to spread honestly and fairly the state advertisement;
- to establish a commission supporting media;
- to establish an independent body to regulate broadcasting-related issues;
- to lift up the ban on foreign radio stations;
- to invest in the Internet and improve the access to Internet;
- to provide candidates with the same access to the on-line media during the election campaigns, and etc.

The more detailed report on results of the visit of the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan to Baku will be released in a week, Turan agency reported.